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Baby and Me
Baby and Me
Engage~Empathise~Educate~Empower
A Support Service for Parents to be
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The Fourth Trimester
| Posted on June 21, 2014 at 3:41 PM |
 The
idea of a fourth trimester is being discussed a lot more in the last few years
with parents becoming more informed about pregnancy, birth and parenting.
Therefore, the birth professionals are starting to realise that the time period
from birth to three months is so important for both baby and mother, as well as
for fathers as they experience this journey together. Most
people are aware of the three trimesters of pregnancy, where baby grows and
develops from a fetus to a healthy term infant born somewhere between 37 weeks
and 42 weeks gestation period. A
baby born before 37 weeks is classed as preterm and will require more care and
support initially to maintain stability with their growth and health development
and to be able to cope with their new environment they find themselves. ‘But
even healthy full term babies require additional three months to ‘wake up’ and
become active partners in the relationship’ (Dr Harvey Karp – Baby Bliss 2002). While
the baby remains ‘in utero’, they are safe, secure, protected, fed and nurtured
in their cocoon of the mother’s womb, then at the end of the third trimester
they are ‘evicted’ and they suddenly find themselves in an unfamiliar
environment of bright lights, new noises, new smells and a place which seems
alien to them. How are they and
you going to cope? All
your baby wants is YOU. Your
baby wants to feel happy and safe and secure as it was in your uterus for the
last nine months. The first three months should be an extension of this in the
outside world. From
the moment of birth, your baby will recognise your voice, their father’s voice
and all those familiar sounds that they heard from inside the womb, so whether
you choose to breastfeed or bottle feed, having skin to skin contact as soon as
possible after birth would be the ideal, prior to anything else such as baths
or showers. Your
baby can be placed on your chest or tummy, so that time can be given for you
both of you to meet and to get to know each other. The benefit of this reduces
stress levels for both you and your baby and allows the release of relaxing
hormones such as oxytocin and serotonin. Also being close to the mother’s heartbeat
is reminiscent for the baby, of the blood flowing through the umbilical cord
and placenta which once connected your baby to you. Your baby will be able to
calm down through self regulation and through mimicking the breath sounds of
their mother or father. This
early introduction of Touch after birth is important and the benefits can be
experienced further with Baby Massage. Baby Massage can improve sleep patterns
and encourages bonding which helps with reducing the risk of postnatal
depression, relief with colic or wind which can be associated with babies
having to cope with their new environment, for some babies more than others. The
key factor seem to be ‘being calm’ both for baby and parent. For parents having
a baby is a life event unlike any other, probably with the biggest adjustment
and change and impact on lifestyle, attitude, values, expectations and
relationships. The first three months is challenging for all concerned both
physically, physiologically and emotionally as parents and baby become one
family unit. So
the main task within the first four months would be to nurture your baby’s
confidence in you and the world. . |
Categories: Pregnancy,Childbirth and Postnatal Experience